tl;dr Why I've been a) (some would say mercifully) quieter than usual and b) slow to get the NEC stuff rolling again (thanks again Paul for picking that up). To think that I was bored beyond belief earlier this year before the rally season started ... that'll teach me. I'm rather out of love with BXs at the moment as it's been one sodding thing after another it seems.
J119 behaved beautifully the first week of my new job. Half of Nottingham is being dug up for tram and ring road works, also the A1(M). The resulting traffic made some of the commuting a bit painful, just had to accept it as part and parcel of taking on a temporarily (until I move early next year) stupidly long distance job though really. Apart from slightly heftier traffic than anticipated, the Plan for how I'm going to manage the commuting went like clockwork - and Tim's hospitality (so I don't have to drive to and fro daily) made a huge difference to an exhausting week, as first weeks in new jobs always are. With impeccable timing, I joined my new outfit on the first day that a major IT change went live, affecting a whole bunch of data protection rules ... talk about straight in at the deep end. Everyone is lovely and it's a nice organisation, it has been a crazy 3 weeks though - "fire fighting" goes with the territory of what I do (and is what makes it interesting
) - I could do with less of the "unprecedented number of incidents" (to quote my new boss) while I'm trying to get up to speed with the new turf.
J119's alternator deciding to conk out on the way home of Friday of the second week was NOT HELPFUL. Especially as it did it hanging half on the roundabout, half still on the slip road where I was trying to get off the A1(M) and turn right into P'boro services before calling the RAC. Tail end of rush hour. Rapidly getting dark. Raining. For the first several minutes, not even enough juice to get the hazards on and I was locked in the car, having managed to hit the central locking thing with my elbow at some point earlier. Even after I'd got out, I honestly thought I was going to die. Or at least that the TZD would be written off by someone hitting it. Until a couple of lovely guys finally stopped and pushed the car off to a slightly safer location just off the roundabout (East Europeans by the way. Don't give me any shit about immigrants, no English buggers bloody bothered to stop and help an obviously lone female in an incredibly dangerous breakdown location.) Anyway, it was the original alternator on the car. At 173K miles not really the BX's fault then. Annoying timing, hey ho.
Realised the next week that the MOT was due. Oh, crap. Booked it in for MOT on the Monday. Driving home on the Friday, a horrible grinding noise began to emanate from the o/s/f brakes. Since J119 has had new flexihoses, handbrake cables, discs, pads and an o/s/f caliper in the last year I was less than amused. Turns out that the hub had been bent when the wheelbearing was replaced (also earlier this year) which caused the caliper sliders to fail. Brakes are being done under warranty and the Amazing Mr Leech has once again come to the rescue with a hub (hopefully the right one, if not, I have had an offer of another which I shall gratefully take up). In the meantime, I have been catching the train, leaving at 5.30 am and not getting back until 8.30-9 pm. I'm *exhausted* (and skint, there is a rainy day fund, I'm declaring it's pouring just as soon as I get some breathing space to sort out the paperwork ... that was supposed to fund my house move, oh well, at least it's there.) Luckily, the MOT was a pass, although it's hard to be pleased about that when the car has still ended up being off the road for the best part of 10 days and hit me with yet another bill. I was fully expecting some days when I'd have to get the train, having to do so for what will end up being nearly 50% of the first month is ridiculous though
I am really hoping to be back 'business as usual' by about 7 October for the first time since getting the job offer at the beginning of August. Normal service (although probably with less flapjack until I can get properly relocated) will be resumed as soon as poss. Apologies for the inconvenience, etc.
As the saying goes, 'Pay peanuts, get monkeys'. I'll try to raise by professional level slightly above that. It's not my dream job ( does such a thing exist ? ) but it is A job. As you've said, at least my cars are safe now. I was going to sell up, but that is now on hold. 
) - it's just a matter of waiting for dates and so on.